In a conventional wireless network like Bluetooth or ZigBee a wireless device can only join a network and communicate with other devices in the network if it has a bi-directional communication link with at least one network device in this network. Magnetic induction (MI) based wireless devices, as typically used in wireless hearing aids, may have a limited operating range (typically 20 cm) due to battery lifetime requirements of the network devices. On the other hand an MI-based audio broadcast device like an MP3 player can (and should) have a higher transmit range (typically 1 m) so that the wireless network devices can still receive the transmitted data stream, when the broadcast device is placed outside the transmission range of the network devices, e.g. in a pocket of the person wearing the hearing aid(s) at his or her ears. Conventional network protocols can not handle the communication between such a broadcast device and devices operating in a wireless network.
In a configuration or situation comprising one or more network devices communicating with each other and comprising a broadcast device being placed out of transmission range of the network devices, the broadcast device may want to broadcast payload data to be received by the network device or network devices having already established a wireless communication network. According to a conventional method the broadcast device (for example a MI-based (audio) broadcast device) can not join a wireless network, when it is located outside the transmit range of the network devices. Its join request may be received by the network manager (one of the network devices), but the broadcast device may not be able to receive a join grant, since it is located outside the transmit range of the network devices. According to a conventional method, the broadcast device starts transmitting data, in particular payload data, without any prior signaling. The network devices may receive the transmitted data and this transmission may interfere with the ongoing communication in the wireless network between the network devices. After a given timeout period the network devices may, according to a conventional method, conclude that the interference is permanent and they will disable all network communication. In a next step according to the conventional method each network device may try to synchronize with the transmitted data of the broadcast device. Once synchronized, processing of the received data (e.g. audio playback) may start. With such a conventional method the communication breakdown period (communication of the network devices with each other) may be unacceptably high.